Conventional computer systems operate software applications that assist users in document processing and modifying information contained in such documents. Such software applications are commonly used to perform tasks for computer users such as word processing, graphic design, image processing and the like. Typically, these software applications provide users with a variety of tools that facilitate the modification of data within a document. More specifically, conventional software applications provide tools enabling a user to select data or other content, such as text or image data, within a document and to manipulate and/or delete the selected data (e.g., highlighting a text string in a word processing document and subsequently deleting the highlighted text, or changing the font of the highlighted text).
As another example, various conventional software applications include conventional redaction tools that allow a user to modify, or mark-up, text data within a document such that the data is unrecognizable and/or irretrievable by other users who have subsequent access to the document, but that keeps the documents original structure (e.g. pagination, paragraph sizes, etc.) in tact. Generally, such conventional redaction tools modify text within a document resulting in a ‘black box’ or similar rectangular graphical barrier that serves as a place-filler in lieu of the redacted text. An example application of a conventional software redaction tool involves the redaction of sensitive information contained in electronic documents as part of the discovery phase during litigation in a lawsuit or the removal of classified information from government documents that are released to the public.